review Zoukei-Mura SWS03: A-1H Skyraider U.S. Navy

[LSP_Kevin]

Howdy folks,

 

K2 is back with a look at Z-M's A-1H kit:

 

Zoukei-Mura SWS03: A-1H Skyraider U.S. Navy

 

 

Thanks, Kevin!

 

And thanks, too, to HobbyLink Japan for the review sample.

 

Kev

[Shawn M]

wow, great pics of the kit/details

 

looks to be top-notch all around

[LSP_K2]

wow, great pics of the kit/details

 

looks to be top-notch all around

 

Thanks a bunch, Shawn, I'm striving to improve my photos all the time. If I'm to be fortunate enough to review kits from time to time, I think the very least I can do is try to take decent pictures. 

[Bomber_County]

Thanks Kev, always fancied doing a modern prop.............

[Guest Peterpools]

Kev

Nice review and your assessment of the front office is right on the money

Peter

[Iain]

Great review Kevin - spot on IMHO.

 

I've built this kit and it's a very satisfying build!

 

Iain

[LSP_K2]

Thanks everybody, I appreciate the sentiments very much. A 1:32 Skyraider all festooned with weaponry, is just too impressive and I'm really looking forward to doing mine.

[Joel_W]

Kev,

  Just an outstanding review with equally excellent photographs. Well done.

 

  Just as a side note, the ZM A-1J is my next build, so I really paid attention to your assessment of ZM's offering.  I've found that the cockpit is the low point of the kit in terms of the detailed offered. For a $150 baseline for the basic kit minus their add-ons, the  cockpit has to be one of the worst I've yet seen with the consoles just covered in blobs of raised plastic. Since my build will be just for personal display, I didn't feel the need to go for the Aires cockpit, and opted instead for the ZM/Eduard Interior PE set.  The rest of the kit looks 1st rate.

 

  As far as the decals are concerned, my kit has both the -H and -J decals, and both while in excellent register and proper colors, are on the thick side. A typical for Japanese kit decals. Since there is no markings to indicate who created and printed the decals, I'm going to assume that they're done in house. Naturally, the Extra Detail Decals sets for both versions have decals designed in house, but the -J version are printed by Cartograf, while the -H versions decals are printed by Microscale. that's certainly an odd occurrence.

 

 As the kit comes with no loads what's so ever. Nothing at all to fill those stations, I purchased their Armament loads set, which looks tremendous. 

 

 All told, the cost to date is no longer $130, but rather just a tad over $200. Still, I'm really looking forward to building this kit.

 

Joel

[LSP_K2]

I'll look forward to seeing what you do with it, Joel.

[Joel_W]

I'll look forward to seeing what you do with it, Joel.

 

Kev,

  For what it's worth, me too.

 

Joel

[Joel_W]

Extra parts Decals for the -J arrived right on time from Volks. And they look great. Copywright is by ZM, so I'm sure that they were designed in house, but on the right lower side of page 1 it clearly states that they were printed by Cartograf. Still can't understand why the Extra Parts decals for the-H are printed by Microscale.  

 

Joel

[wrbrdmech]

Kev,

Just an outstanding review with equally excellent photographs. Well done.

 

Just as a side note, the ZM A-1J is my next build, so I really paid attention to your assessment of ZM's offering. I've found that the cockpit is the low point of the kit in terms of the detailed offered. For a $150 baseline for the basic kit minus their add-ons, the cockpit has to be one of the worst I've yet seen with the consoles just covered in blobs of raised plastic. Since my build will be just for personal display, I didn't feel the need to go for the Aires cockpit, and opted instead for the ZM/Eduard Interior PE set. The rest of the kit looks 1st rate.

 

As far as the decals are concerned, my kit has both the -H and -J decals, and both while in excellent register and proper colors, are on the thick side. A typical for Japanese kit decals. Since there is no markings to indicate who created and printed the decals, I'm going to assume that they're done in house. Naturally, the Extra Detail Decals sets for both versions have decals designed in house, but the -J version are printed by Cartograf, while the -H versions decals are printed by Microscale. that's certainly an odd occurrence.

 

As the kit comes with no loads what's so ever. Nothing at all to fill those stations, I purchased their Armament loads set, which looks tremendous.

 

All told, the cost to date is no longer $130, but rather just a tad over $200. Still, I'm really looking forward to building this kit.

 

Joel

Hi Joel,

 

I've built the H kit and I'm almost finished with the J. I can promise you the kit decals the are printed in house performed flawlessly for me. I built my H with the bumblebee and that's a large decal that covered many panel lines and recessed detail. It snuggled down into all the cracks with ease and to perfection. I'm using the Zots sheet for my A-1J because I wanted specific markings on their sheet but the ZM kit decals till work just fine.

 

I'll also say that the cockpit seems to be soft on detail but a big part of that is the silver plastic it's moulded in. I'd ask you to prime all the silver plastic cockpit parts, specifically the side consoles and instrument panel and see if they still look soft on detail after priming. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

I've enjoyed building both of my ZM Skyraiders and don't mind paying the extra money for an accurately shaped Spad. The Trumpeter kit suffers from many shape errors. Prop, gear, tires, cowling, and canopy/windscreen are all wrong. ZM definitely has the best Skyraider on the market.

 

Enjoy your build. It's worth the investment IMO.

 

Thanks

Shane

[LSP_K2]

I have some S Vietnamese Air Force AM decals (AOA?), for the SPAD I intend to do. I've had no experience with these decals, but they look great in the package. We'll see what happens, I guess.

[Starfighter]

I badly want one of these but the price tag hurts. Not sure I am ever going to spend that much for an injection moulded kit.

[Joel_W]

Hi Joel,

 

I've built the H kit and I'm almost finished with the J. I can promise you the kit decals the are printed in house performed flawlessly for me. I built my H with the bumblebee and that's a large decal that covered many panel lines and recessed detail. It snuggled down into all the cracks with ease and to perfection. I'm using the Zots sheet for my A-1J because I wanted specific markings on their sheet but the ZM kit decals till work just fine.

 

I'll also say that the cockpit seems to be soft on detail but a big part of that is the silver plastic it's moulded in. I'd ask you to prime all the silver plastic cockpit parts, specifically the side consoles and instrument panel and see if they still look soft on detail after priming. I think you'll be pleasantly surprised.

 

I've enjoyed building both of my ZM Skyraiders and don't mind paying the extra money for an accurately shaped Spad. The Trumpeter kit suffers from many shape errors. Prop, gear, tires, cowling, and canopy/windscreen are all wrong. ZM definitely has the best Skyraider on the market.

 

Enjoy your build. It's worth the investment IMO.

 

Thanks

Shane

 

Shane,

  Thanks so much for your most timely info. You've made me feel a lot better about the actual build. the Sandy/Spad is one of my favorite aircraft right up there with the Scooter (my current build). I'm confident that with thicker decals  Mr. Mark works wonders, but you tend to see the decal demarcation line. With the Cartograf decals they look more like they were painted on, and I've used them for years. Will take your advice and prime the cockpit consoles, but I've already got the Extra Parts Eduard PE set. If the build goes as good as yours, I'll will doing the Bumble Bee -H version as well.

 

  One thing for sure on a $150 MSRP kit, they should have included a basic set of stores. Buying their weapons set for each version really gets expensive fast.

 

  How about posting a picture set in RFI? I'd love to see both of your builds.

 

Thanks again,

Joel

Edited May 2, 2017 by Joel_W